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I actually used to be a fan of this band, as while their debut was super-generic, their second album, Cast Away, remains a favorite of mine to this day. Subsequent albums, however, failed to grab me. First singer Nicole Bogner left the band (and passed away in 2013) and the singing was more and more taken over by Mario Plank, who seemed to think everyone was interested in his entirely average vocals. After the extremely dull Delta, I dropped this band off my radar, and this is the first work I have heard since then.

The pirate theme didn’t have me feeling optimistic, but actually, this is their best work in years. Plank is gone, replaced by the much superior Michele Guaitoli, new female singer Clementine Delauney is a more than capable complement, and this is really the first Visions of Atlantis album to really mix the two singers together almost seamlessly. Really, this is almost an entirely new band, with only drummer Thomas Caser dating from the old days. The songs are sharp, the melodies catchy, and the blending of symphonic and choral elements is really well done. Songs like "Master the Hurricane" and "Legion of the Seas" can stand up with the best this band has produced. If you like this kind of sweet, hooky stuff, then Pirates is an album to check out.